September 23, 2009

The paper napkin is part of just about every restaurant meal. At fast food restaurants, we can even help ourselves – and it’s easy to grab a handful without thinking, most of which end up in the trash unused or barely used. Our napkin habit consumes millions of trees a year. Millions.

But here are five simple ways you can save a tree:

At home, try to get away without using napkins in the first place
At restaurants, use just one napkin
Give extra napkins and napkins that have been lightly used a second life: use them as tissues (they’re usually a lot stronger than regular tissues), or tuck them into your car’s glovebox for a myriad of end uses.
When buying, choose napkins with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content
Compost used napkins when possible, so that they can become ingredients for the next generation of trees
Save a napkin, save a tree: it’s nature’s air filter.

September 7, 2009

When you buy a new vehicle, you’re chaining your wallet to that vehicle’s fuel appetite for as long as you’ll own it – and the lifetime fuel cost of an inefficient vehicle can be higher than the cost of the vehicle itself.

For example, Natural Resources Canada estimates the annual fuel cost for a Toyota Prius at $820. For SUVs like the GMC Yukon, Chevy Tahoe, Cadillac Escalade, Jeep Cherokee and Dodge Durango, that cost is over four times as high. That’s at today’s fuel prices – sure to rise in the coming years, making the difference even bigger.

Programs like Retire Your Ride or Cash for Clunkers are nice, but the biggest cash advantage you can get when buying a new car is to choose the most efficient vehicle that meets your needs. By chaining your wallet to efficiency, you’ll save every year!

“I make sure the house isn’t overheated, lower our meat intake and grow vegetables,” said 71-year old Rosie Hughes, one of thirty people interviewed in a Reuters street poll. Unfortunately, most others interviewed – particularly the men – were not as willing to change behaviours. (How would you answer?) http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE58139L20090902

Beyond Green, just this once

In April 1980, Terry Fox dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean in St. John’s, NL, and set off on his cross-Canada Marathon of Hope. He was never able to complete his journey: the cancer that had taken his leg returned, and took his life in 1981.

September 13 marks the 29th annual Terry Fox Run, to commemorate a Canadian hero and raise funds for cancer research. For me, Terry Fox is a role model and an inspiration; he changed more than just his corner of the world.

I run annually for Terry and in memory of my father, who we lost to cancer in 1992. This year, with great sadness, I add the name of my sister Cathy to that list. Our family is grieving her loss August 22 of complications after cancer surgery. I have set my personal fundraising goal much higher this year, at $5000, and I would be grateful for any support you may be able to offer for this worthy cause. Contributions can be made on-line at http://www.terryfox.org/cgi/page.cgi/Run/participants.html/USH8SW.